Half-Retiring business owners aim to keep their business
income while working only two half-days a week. However, if the customer service
department cannot effectively function without the owner on-site, the chances of
pulling off a successful
Half-Retirement are limited.
So, can a business owner Half-Retire without damage to the
level of customer service? The answer is no, but it depends upon how your
customer service runs. Is the customer service function an owner-centric
operation or a process and culture-centric operation? Let’s break down how each
type of a customer service operation might work.
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Type issue |
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Culture & |
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Day to day requests |
Handled well by the team as a result of |
|
|
Handled well by the team as a result of |
|
Special requests |
Handled well by experienced team members |
|
|
Handled well by most team members as |
|
Minor issues |
Handled well by experienced team members |
|
|
Handled well by most team members as |
|
Priority issues |
Most issues upwwardly delegated to the |
|
|
If new team members cannot handle the |
|
Issues that could result in lost |
This is a neutron bomb, and all employees |
|
|
Cultural norms instill in all employees the |
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Employees’ ability to do whatever it |
Since the owner is in charge of customer |
|
|
The team has been granted reasonable power |
As you can see, a customer service operation where the
owner retains process control, financial control, and final decision-making
power is handicapped. Without all the tools needed to perform at their best, the
customer service department will hinder the owner’s ability to Half-Retire.
-
You can create a high-functioning customer service
department if you: -
Create the right customer service culture
-
Create systems and workflows
-
Clearly communicate these processes to the team
-
Give every team member reasonable power to solve
problems on “the first touch.” -
Give experienced team members the same tools and power
(including money), that you give yourself
By removing themselves from the customer service operation,
the business owner can focus their limited time on their
Picasso Work™. We’d love to hear your success stories!
